26 mai 2007
In English
The charity "L'Etoile de Martin" was created in September 2006 by the parents of Martin, a little boy who died on 30 January 2006, aged 2, after courageously fighting for over a year against a rare form of cancer.
Of the 160,000 children diagnosed with cancer worldwide each year, 90,000 die.
Medical research has made tremendous progress over the past 20 years, helping to save more children, improve their quality of life during treatments, and limit side effects. However, too many children still lose their battle against cancer. "Cancer" covers many different things, including very rare diseases that have low survival rates (e.g. neuroblastomes, brain tumours, and some forms of metastased cancers). The fact that there are only a small number of cases limits the ability to obtain conclusive research results.
Side effects can be significant, with sight, hearing, heart or cognitive capacities often impacted. During therapy, which is often long and involves invasive treatments, the daily routine of these sick children is painful and prevents a normal life for them and their families.
The experience of Martin's parents, as well as that of other families they met during their son's disease, has pushed them, with some friends and family, to launch a charity to support research efforts into children’s cancer and initiatives aimed at improving the lives of children cancer patients.
The charity raises its funds through two main channels. Its core source of funds is the sale of hand-made decorative objects and jewellery which are sold in private sales across France.
Its second source of fund raising is through sponsorship of sporting events.
For instance:
- A group of runners carried the charity’s banner during the Paris20km run (October 2006) and Paris half-marathon (March 2007).
- A cyclist successfully cycled from Lands End to John o'Groats in 7 days (880 miles from southern tip to northern tip of the UK) (August 2007).
- Over 140 ladies ran the women -only "La Parisienne" race under the charity’s banner (September 2007 & 2008)
- A runner is attempting Le Grand Raid de la Reunion - La Diagonale des Fous (150km race across the island of La Reunion (
Funds raised have been used to launch & fund, for two consecutive years,:
- a weekly musical class in the paediatric ward of the Institut Gustave Roussy (the main cancer hospital in Paris);
- a body awareness class in the paediatric neurology ward of the Hôpital National de Saint-Maurice (a re-education / physical therapy hospital near Paris); and
- a bursary for a research assistant in the Institut Gustave Roussy paediatric team.
Please help us to fund these fantastic initiatives for a 3rd year.
Click here to support L'Etoile de Martin:
